Ann Romney Sees Momentum Building in Mitt's Ohio Campaign

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Days after her husband's victories in Arizona and Michigan, Ann Romney dropped into the Romney campaign's headquarters in Ohio on Friday afternoon to thank volunteers and rally supporters prior to next week's primary, citing the "momentum" of the campaign as the catalyst that will lift Mitt Romney to victory in the state on Super Tuesday.

"It's unbelievable what's happening. Momentum is a good thing, and momentum's with us, and you know what, we've got to win Ohio, so let's go out there and make sure that we do win Ohio," said Romney to a room full of volunteers and supporters at the Romney Ohio headquarters in Columbus.

Hours before her husband campaigns in eastern Ohio at Cleveland State University, Mrs. Romney spoke of the impact women will have on the election and the shift she's witnessed in women's voting patterns based on economic concerns rather than social issues.

"The message that has been resonating for me, as I've been speaking all across this country, has been an economic message, and I love it that women are concerned and are voting for economic reasons. This is so important," said Mrs. Romney. "What I hear from all women - I heard it in Florida, I heard it in Michigan, I heard it in Nevada, I heard it New Hampshire, I heard it everywhere, everywhere I go - is that moms are very angry about the deficit spending in Washington, D.C. They are very upset about the burdens their children are going to inherit, and they think it's irresponsible of us to pass along that kind of burden to our children and grandchildren.

"I think women in the general election are going to make a huge difference in this nation and … for the first time, may be voting their pocketbooks, which is great," continued Mrs. Romney.

Mrs. Romney relayed a story about a recent Romney fundraiser she attended where she was introduced by former First Lady Barbara Bush, who shared her personal concerns about the economic state of the country.

"She said this is the most important election in my lifetime, and for a woman who was the wife of a president and the mother of a president, that's quite astonishing," said Mrs. Romney of Mrs. Bush. "She is as concerned as all of us are that America's on the wrong course, that we're going in the wrong direction, that so many families are hurting because of the economy and the insecurity of their jobs. Even if they have a job, they're worried."

Mrs. Romney always has been frank about her initial hesitancy to have her husband run a second time for president after his loss in the Republican nominating contest in 2008, but she told the crowded room that she was motivated to push her husband to run again because she believes he is the lone candidate this election cycle who can fix the problems plaguing the nation.

"What changed my mind is recognizing that Mitt had the skill set and the experience to actually do something about it because I did say to him, If by chance you can get the nomination, which isn't easy, if by chance you can beat Barack Obama, which isn't easy, but by the way he's going to do both of those things," said Mrs. Romney. "I need to know in my heart can you fix it once you get there, and you want to know, let me let you in on the little secret - he's the only one that can, the only one that can."

As she left the event, Mrs. Romney declined to answer a question from a reporter about the tenor of the campaign.